Dear Readers,
This year has been quite the experience to say the least. At the start of my time at The Mike, I never imagined that I’d be navigating a global pandemic while holding the position of Editor-in-Chief in my graduating year. But, nonetheless, I am thankful for this experience and all that I have learned. This year at The Mike, we have had to go through immense changes and throughout it all the masthead has remained dedicated to the wider goal of student journalism in serving student voices across the community.
When preparing for this role over the summer of last year, I was perhaps a bit naive about what exactly this pandemic had in store. The biggest change The Mike has undergone due to COVID has been our shift to online delivery. At first, I was hesitant to entirely forgo our print copy, but in moving to an entirely online method we have been able to expand readership and reach all those across the St. Mike’s community who may not be anywhere near campus this year.
While we did experience the struggle of moving entirely online, we have seen success in our delivery and increased engagement from returning and new readers. We were also able to expand our focus because of this and become more flexible with our content. In the news section, we created a subsection entitled ‘From a Wider Lens’ allowing students the opportunity to voice their concerns about international news. We introduced a new column in our lifestyle section entitled ‘A Day in the Life’ which helped connect St. Mike’s students, and we’ve accumulated so many new and dedicated student writers and contributors. Despite all that has happened this year, the masthead at The Mike has had a sharp focus on serving our readers and fellow students.
This year we also amassed one of our largest mastheads, totalling 31 dedicated editors and managers, 18 staff members, and numerous other student contributors all spread out across Canada and beyond. Thinking about the community we have been able to cultivate this year is extremely humbling, and I am honoured to have provided everyone with the space to have their voices heard and their experiences represented. Our upcoming election for the 2021-22 team, running from April 4th to the 21st, will also be important to the continued growth of The Mike. So, with that, I encourage you all to apply for a position. Writing for a campus publication and having your voice heard at a school as large as U of T is not only important but also is extremely rewarding.
Being Editor-in-Chief this year has been an invaluable learning experience on the importance of student journalism to campus life here at U of T and St. Mike’s. Without student journalism, campus life would truly not be the same. It is because of all our student writers and our masthead that we have been able to represent the student experience here at St. Mike’s on such a wide scale.
I want to take this time to thank those of you who have stuck by The Mike’s side, who have subscribed to our newsletter, who’ve read each issue, and who continue to come back for more. Without you all, The Mike would not be where it is today, and I am hopeful that in the future The Mike will continue to be a standing stone and pillar of student solidarity within the St. Mike’s community.
With thanks,
Chiara Greco, Editor-in-Chief
Volume LXXIII, 2020-21
